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Spears
Spears are the term used to refer to a type of long spike which can exist as static or active weapons. Series 1 Grand Finalist T.R.A.C.I.E. and Arena Semi-Finalist Nemesis were among the first robots to use either kind of spear in Robot Wars, with other notable examples including Tornado (both retracting (Series 4) and static (Series 6)) Spikasaurus (static), 101 (retracting) and Spawn of Scutter (retracting). House Robot Cassius Chrome was also equipped with a pair of retracting spears as part of his weaponry. Definition Spears differ from spikes in that they are generally longer, while spikes can exist in any length. Their purpose is to specifically pierce through robots' armour with the intention of damaging internal components, as well as puncturing tyres or dislodging tracks. This differs from most other types of static blades, which primarily aim to batter and damage opponents. Retracting Spears Retracting spears, such as those used by 101 and Spawn of Scutter, are usually concealed within the robot, and powered by a pneumatic/hydraulic ram or a rod connected to a flywheel or camshaft. They thrust out of the robot's body at high speed, causing instantaneous damage to an opponent's armour or wheels. They solve many of the problems affecting static spears, notably being less liable to being damaged or broken off because they are usually concealed within the robot's body until they fire. This also improves the robot's manoeuvrability, allowing it to turn without having the spear catch on opponents, walls or other objects. Retracting spears may also be referred to as spike cannons. Advantages and Disadvantages Advantages *Like spikes, static spears are light and easy to attach to a robot. *Spears are especially useful damaging weapons if the robot has a powerful drive system and is manoeuvrable and well-driven enough. It is possible for static spears to deal considerable amounts of damage to their opponents through ramming them or impaling their armour or wheels, as Spikasaurus demonstrated against Suicidal Tendencies and Killerhurtz during the Series 4 Northern Annihilator. *It is especially possible for retracting spears to be considerably effective in causing damage to opponents' armour. Nemesis and Ruf Ruf Dougal were both able to punch holes through Roadblock and Gemini with their spears before losing to their respective opponents. *Both types of spears are easily compatible with invertible designs, and equally effective when the robot is inverted. T.R.A.C.I.E. and Mr Nasty are notable examples with static spears, while 101 and Spawn of Scutter are notable examples with retracting spears. Tornado also enjoyed considerable amounts of success when equipped with either type of spear in various series. *Retracting spears could offer an ingenious synergy when combined with elements of a particular robot's design. By far the best example of this is through Spawn of Scutter's spear, which was combined with its front wedge to act as a very effective flipping weapon, hurling robots such as Banshee and Onslaught over effortlessly at various points throughout Series 4. Disadvantages *Spears, especially longer ones, can be fragile and prone to breaking off. *They are only effective at attacking in one direction and, unless they are retractable, are difficult to use effectively without a strong drive system and a good run-up on opponents. *Often, they are so sharp that they can catch on parts of the arena and leave a robot equipped with them stuck on that particular part. Spikasaurus became impaled on the wall in its Heat in Series 4, resulting in its subsequent elimination, and T.R.A.C.I.E.'s spears prevented it from getting out of its pocket during its Snooker Trial in Series 1. This would have eliminated T.R.A.C.I.E. if the stock robot Eubank the Mouse had not been deemed as having irreparably broken down. **Also, if they are successfully used, they can impale through opponents so effectively that it becomes difficult to separate both robots. Suicidal Tendencies and Spikasaurus both had to be dismantled in order to become separated during the Northern Annihilator, after Spikasaurus' spears became impaled through Suicidal Tendencies' side panels. *Generally, both kinds of spears are less effective at piercing/puncturing other robots than other weapons, especially those with tougher armour. For example, Tornado was unable to use its retracting (Series 4) or static (Series 6) spears to good effect, instead relying on its immense pushing power to win battles in which it was equipped with them. List of Robots with Spear Weapons Robots are listed alphabetically. Robots which are not heavyweight entries are listed with a green background. House Robots are listed with a yellow background. Robots with retracting spears are listed in bold. Category:Weapon Types Category:Robots with Spears Category:Robots with Retracting Spears